2974: Lions and Tigers and Kids: Get Outside by Steve Booher on Parenting Advice for Healthy Kids and Reducing Stress

[00:00:00] Kennt ihr auch diesen einen Freund, der morgens einfach so ruckzuck aus dem Bett und danach aus dem Grinsen gar nicht mehr rauskommt? Der sogar noch vor dem ersten Kaffee unverschämt gut gelaunt ist und mit der Morgensonne um die Wette strahlt? Furchtbar, ekelhaft, wie kann man nur so... Ausgeruht sein? Ganz einfach, trainiere deinen Schlaf und werde auch du zum Morgenmenschen. Mit der Galaxy Watch 7 oder dem Galaxy Ring und der Samsung Health App.

[00:00:24] Hey Sandra, wir haben uns ja lange nicht mehr gesehen. Grüß dich Nadine! Mensch, du siehst ja toll aus! Ja danke, ich habe mein Plus fürs gesündere Ich entdeckt. Was? Komm, ich zeig's dir! Die Bewegungskurse der AOK Plus. Kostenfrei für AOK Plus Versicherte. Entdecke dein Plus fürs gesündere Ich und starte mit unserem Selfcheck. Ganz einfach online auf aok.de. Aus Liebe zur Gesundheit. AOK Plus.

[00:00:55] This is Optimal Health Daily. Lions and Tigers and Kids. Get Outside. By Steve Boeher of LifeandWhim.com. And I'm Dr. Neil. Hey there and welcome to another bonus Sunday episode where I share an article from one of the other podcasts in our network that I think will add some value for you here. Today's post comes from Optimal Relationships Daily where articles covering all types of relationships are read to you every day.

[00:01:22] So with that, let's hear this one from Greg as we optimize your life. Lions and Tigers and Kids Get Outside by Steve Boer with LifeandWhim.com Sometimes I feel like I'm raising cats. My son's bathroom looks and smells like a litter box while my daughter's bedroom is strewn with odds and ends.

[00:01:48] It's like a kitten militia broke into the Dollar Tree on Munson Ave and is using her room as a stash house. Courageous and curious, I'm reminded of the time I found my precocious two-year-old daughter perched on top of the refrigerator purring with excitement. Pouncing and playful, I picture my son sprawling for a ground ball to his left and then gracefully adjusting his body as he makes the toss to first base.

[00:02:11] But I'm not a cat person. Cats, to me, are stuffy noses and itchy eyes, arrogant strutting and preening on four legs. My family had cats growing up, Bogie, Bogie, Part Deux, Charlie, and Cindy. I didn't like them, and they didn't like me. Charlie would attack me, fangs bared as I headed downstairs to watch Saturday morning cartoons. It was like a scene from a Pink Panther movie where Inspector Clouseau gets ambushed by his martial arts-loving manservant, Cato Fang.

[00:02:39] It happened so frequently that I resorted to rolling myself up in my comforter for protection, sliding down the stairs and hopping to the family room. I felt like a lion trainer, outwitting his feline foe. I know that there are people out there who like cats, who love cats. I understand that about as well as I understand the physics behind time travel, completely unfathomable. But there is one thing I understand about cats. They're either indoor cats or outdoor cats.

[00:03:07] The indoor cat has been declawed and learns to rely on its human caretaker for food. It snuggles peacefully on its human's lap and enjoys the tranquility of a cozy life. The outdoor cat, on the other hand, with claws intact, scours the neighborhood for adventure. Sure, the outdoor cat can always run home for a bowl of store-bought food, but the scavenger instinct remains. The outdoor cat can trust that milk or water will be left on the stoop, but it learns to become self-reliant.

[00:03:37] It learns to expand its comfort zone and seek new experiences. It's much the same with kids. There are indoor kids, and there are outdoor kids. I'm striving to raise outdoor kids. Granted, I don't want my son to walk in the door with a mouse in his mouth, but I do want to see the bumps and bruises that serve as reminders of a day well played, a day taken advantage of. I urge my daughter to head outside, find a few friends, and create a game from their collective imaginations.

[00:04:06] Sure, there are arguments, there are tussles, there are moments when someone figuratively or literally takes the ball and goes home. The tears and disagreements are not only part of life, but they are soon forgotten as feelings are mended and a new game begins. The indoor kid, along with his or her electronics, is sheltered from the peer altercations and kept safe from the challenges, sometimes cruelties of creating friendships. But what does he learn? To take his iPhone and go, where?

[00:04:36] He's already home. Go outside. Find something to do. Your friends aren't home? Well, go to the playground and make new ones. Those phrases will forever be etched in the minds of my children. Be active, sweat, bleed, bruise, laugh, and cry. Exercise aside, the outdoor kid gains a sense of independence as he or she wanders further from the safe confines of home. Socially, he or she learns that life isn't always fair.

[00:05:05] There are bullies, there is injustice, there are chaotic arguments, and there are long periods of silent solitude uninterrupted by the lights and sounds of the television. But they learn that there are compromises, solutions, and that sometimes, well, you just don't get your way. There have been many times that I've been disappointed in myself as a parent. Too many to recount here. When I find myself, my wife, and our kids sitting in the same room,

[00:05:32] each submerged in our individual phones or watching the same Nickelodeon program for the hundredth time, I feel that surge of angst and disappointment. We moved to Traverse City nearly two years ago for many reasons. One factor was the ability to raise our children as outdoor children. Rain, snow, or shine, there is a reason to get off the couch and head outside. Be it the beaches, the parks, the slopes, it's all at our doorstep. Our goal is to get outside every day.

[00:06:00] The fantastic ski programs that we have right in town, the awesome trail systems that snake their way through the vast forests surrounding the city, and the refreshing waters of the bays are but a few resources at our disposal. My wife and I have come to love Northern Michigan. We love the opportunities this area affords our children that we didn't have growing up. I hope they grow into adults who enjoy the freedom that nature offers. I hope they grow to appreciate the lessons they learn from playing with their friends,

[00:06:27] tag, baseball, or taking on some obstacle course they created with objects laying around the garage. It's not always easy to force them to head outside. Sometimes the magnetic draw of the television conquers my convictions. But I do try, every day. I may dislike cats, but I love my outdoor cats. You just listened to the post titled, Lions and Tigers and Kids Get Outside,

[00:06:54] by Steve Boer, with lifeandwim.com. Oikos presents 15 seconds of strength. Here we go. Steve's got a trunk full of groceries and no one to help him. Oh, that's tough, Jim. Looks like a five-trip load at least. He grabs the first bag, the second. Bob, it looks like he's trying to do it on one trip. He shimmies the door open, steps over the dog. Oh, and he stumbles. Oh, right into the kitchen without missing a beat. Jim, now that's a man who eats his protein-packed Oikos. With 15 grams of complete protein in each cup,

[00:07:23] Oikos Triple Zero can help build strength for every day. Oikos, stronger makes everything better. The origins of this podcast were once just a dream. That dream turned into the podcast and business you're listening to today. Starting your own business is a dream lots of us share, but too many of us let it remain just a dream. Don't hold yourself back thinking, what if I don't have the skills? What if I can't do it alone? Turn those what-ifs into why-nots with Shopify by your side.

[00:07:53] Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide and handles 10% of all e-commerce in the US, from household names like Mattel to brands just getting started. Build campaigns that reach customers wherever they're scrolling. Plus, Shopify's expertise covers everything, inventory, shipping, returns, and beyond. If you're ready to sell, you're ready for Shopify. Turn those dreams into... And give them the best shot at success with Shopify.

[00:08:24] Sign up for your $1 per month trial and start selling today at shopify.com slash OHD. Go to shopify.com slash OHD. Shopify.com slash OHD. Anyone who knows me knows that I am an animal freak. So what a fun article. And I almost fell off my chair when I first read Kitten Militia. That's going to go straight into my vocabulary. Thank you, Steve.

[00:08:53] And thank you also for a wonderful post that reminds us all, in spite of our best efforts to protect our children, that they need to get into trouble. They need to face adversity to a certain extent and learn for themselves. It's a tough line to tow for parents, of course. It's a line you'll certainly stumble off of countless times, unless you have the dexterity of one of the members of the Kitten Militia. That's one. But the very mentality that even young children will simply have to fight some battles on their own and learn from struggle just as adults do,

[00:09:22] will by itself do wonders for their development and for yours as a parent. And that is a wrap. Thank you for joining me today, kitty cats. Go have yourselves a fun weekend. Behave yourself. Be outdoor cats. And I will see you back here on Monday with another inspiring post where your optimal life awaits. Be outdoor cats.